Touring the Former ‘Book Row’
From the 1890s through the 20th century, the area between Astor Place and Union Square was full of second-hand booksellers who formed what was known as ‘Book Row.’ Each store … Continued
From the 1890s through the 20th century, the area between Astor Place and Union Square was full of second-hand booksellers who formed what was known as ‘Book Row.’ Each store … Continued
Hip Hop at 50This is the first in a series of posts that celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Birth of Hip Hop. Our exploration takes us to the seminal … Continued
John Hammond Sr. (December 15, 1910 – July 10, 1987) was a talent scout, producer, musicologist, broadcaster, journalist, and mentor. His influence profoundly shaped popular music in the 20th century, … Continued
Once upon a time, people bought almost all of their books in bookstores. People still do a lot of literary shopping in local storefronts, and our neighborhoods still have many … Continued
As a young girl born and raised on the rugged coast of Rockland, Maine, few could have guessed Edna St. Vincent Millay (February 22, 1892 – October 19, 1950) was … Continued
Martha Graham’s (1894-1991) remarkable career as a dancer and choreographer spanned more than 70 years. During her lifetime, she saw contemporary dance evolve from a new art form to a … Continued
An architect of fantastic lands and sprightly stories, Maurice Sendak was a renowned children’s book author and illustrator whose work has stirred the souls of millions. Sendak lived and worked … Continued
Charles Mingus (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) has earned a well-deserved fame and notoriety over a lifetime of performance, composition, and controversy. The ‘bad boy’ of jazz was known … Continued
Merce Cunningham, considered by many one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century, was a multi-dimensional artist. He was a dance-maker, a fierce collaborator, an innovator, a film … Continued
Village Preservation began offering an East Village Rock Tour in July, and it has been met with great enthusiasm and large groups gathering to learn more about the history of Rock ‘n Roll in the East Village.
us through our history with insights that help us understand our own times as much as we begin to understand the past. We hope you check out James and Michelle’s work and continue to come along such journeys through Village Preservation’s programming.
Margaret Mitchell’s classic but controversial novel, Gone with the Wind, remains one of our country’s most popular pieces of literature, with over 30 million copies printed worldwide. In a 2014 … Continued
To celebrate Pride this year, we’re guiding you on an exploration of today’s LGBTQ+-owned businesses led by the Queer Money Project — to celebrate both the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community in our neighborhoods, and to support small businesses (both of which we do 24/7, 365-days-a-year, but what better time than now?). And we’re doing it in an exciting new way that allows you to participate in Village Preservation programming on your own time. Grab a friend and visit these sites that we’ll reveal on Instagram throughout NYC Pride Weekend.
The unprotected area South of Union Square for which we are seeking landmark status has no shortage of trailblazers in the arts and architecture, in commerce, and those who fought … Continued
By Sarah Eccles
As we close the chapter on yet another wild and successful of year of public programs at Village Preservation, we wanted to take the time to reflect and highlight some … Continued
By Hew Evans
The inspirational and unforgettable Anna Sokolow (February 9, 1910 – March 29, 2000) danced with the Martha Graham Dance Company at 64-66 Fifth Avenue between 1930 and 1939 before going … Continued
By Sarah Eccles
The trailblazing playwright and author Terrance McNally lived for decades with his husband Tom Kirdahy at 29 East 9th Street in the area of Greenwich Village South of Union Square … Continued
Who says you can’t fight City Hall? During these particularly troubling and divided political times, it is rewarding and inspiring to look to Jane Jacobs for encouragement. Jane redefined urban … Continued
Typically our “What’s in a Name?” series looks into the name of a building or a place and what’s behind the name as we know it. But today we are … Continued
By Sarah Eccles
The roots of LGBTQ+ life in our neighborhoods are deeper than we even know. In the documentary PS. Burn This Letter Please, which premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival … Continued
Our South of Union Square map offers an interactive look into this area of Greenwich Village and the East Village which is so rich in history but also so lacking … Continued
By Sarah Eccles
814 Broadway is a five-story masonry structure built in 1854.
Bob Dylan (born May 24, 1941) began his legendary career in Greenwich Village. The storied clubs and coffee houses in the neighborhood were the incubators for his formidable talent and … Continued
Village Preservation has long made a priority of celebrating civil rights and social justice history in our neighborhoods.
The Asian-American and Pacific Islander community has a more than 150-year-long history in the United States, dating back to the first wave of Chinese and Japanese immigrants settling on the … Continued
The Greenwich Village Historic District is one of New York City’s oldest historic districts.
Few places in America have made more significant contributions to civil rights and social justice struggles.
Our interactive tool “Virtual Village” brings users on unique and unexpected journeys.
Village Preservation’s Greek Revival Bicentennial Storymap celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence.
The neighborhood south of Union Square holds a unique place in the history of women’s rights and women’s suffrage movements.
Irish American figures defined the blocks where Greenwich Village meets the East Village.
Our new interactive tool “Virtual Village” brings users on a multitude of virtual explorations.
Our new interactive tool “Virtual Village” brings users on unique and unexpected journeys.
James Renwick was one of the most influential, accomplished, and skilled American architects of the 19th century.
In 1754, there was no library in New York. Can you believe it? Today we are taking a wonderful journey through our neighborhoods to trace the beginnings of the New … Continued
Village Preservation just released an incredible new tool, our #SouthOfUnionSquare “Virtual Village” site, which is an interactive map highlighting the architecture and histories of the area South of Union Square. … Continued
Some of the most iconic films in history have used New York City as its backdrop. Sweeping dramas, gut-busting comedies, and action/adventure movies have swung through the streets dozens of … Continued
The area south of Union Square is the center of an amazing and dynamic collection of histories.
Greenwich Village has long been the home of many of history’s most important social change champions. Now, using Village Preservation’s interactive map of the Greenwich Village Historic District, we can … Continued
Churches often represent some of the most historic and stunning architecture in a community, and that’s as true if not more so of the East Village as it is of … Continued
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and … Continued
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and … Continued
Urban Archive is a location-based mobile app that empowers New Yorkers to learn about history where it happened. The site brings together the digital collections of New York City’s museums, … Continued
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50. On April 29th, 2019, … Continued
If you’re walking around the East Village, you’re likely standing on (or near) holy ground. To illustrate this, we’ve created a tour of current and former synagogues in the neighborhood. … Continued
Alphabet City owes much of its initial development to shipbuilding, the industry that used to dominate the area. Known as the Dry Dock District, this area used to bustle with … Continued
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50. Music is an integral … Continued
This Sunday, Village Preservation will hold its 21st annual Spring Benefit House Tour. As this year also marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District, all the homes and … Continued
Village Preservation’s 21st Annual Spring House Tour on Sunday, May 5th is right around the corner, and this year’s homes are really special. Additionally, they are all in the Greenwich Village … Continued
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and … Continued
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50. Walking back to the … Continued
This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and … Continued
We recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Greenwich Village Historic District (GVHD50) with a bash in Washington Square Park. But thankfully, there’s even more GVHD fun right around the … Continued
This is part of a series of curated tours to help the public explore the buildings and history shared on our recently-launched East Village Building Blocks site — see it here. From 19th-century concert … Continued
On February 19, 1974, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate 203 Prince Street an individual landmark. This three-story house with red Flemish bond brickwork and brownstone basement was … Continued
There are limitless things to discover among the astounding collections of photographs by Carole Teller in GVSHP’s Historic Image Archive. A resident of the East Village for over 50 years, … Continued
It’s August in New York. It’s hot. Need I say more? And conversations tend to revolve around the temperatures at this time of year. How hot is it? How humid … Continued
We recently unveiled the new addition to our Historic Image Archive, Carole Teller’s Changing New York, Part 4, which includes about two hundred fifty images of Greenwich Village, the East Village, … Continued
We recently added two new collections of photographs to the GVSHP Historic Image Archive, and they do not fail to impress! One is the Meatpacking District Above 14th Street/Chelsea Market/High … Continued
GVSHP’s primary focus is between the Hudson and East Rivers, from Houston Street to 14th Street. Still, in 2016 GVSHP fought to secure the Sullivan-Thompson Historic District which dips 3+ blocks just below Houston … Continued
Earlier this week, photographer and NYC tour guide David Schmidlapp took us on a meander through the East Village using four old, beautiful maps of New York City as part of … Continued
This post is part of a series about Village blocks that correspond to calendar dates. You can read some of the other ones here. August is here and so is … Continued
Every month, GVSHP posts the upcoming applications for changes to landmarked properties in our neighborhoods that are significant enough to warrant a public hearing, known as certificates of appropriateness. Typically … Continued
Last week we shared an online Historic Bowery Walking Tour. This week we are sharing a walking tour of the Gansevoort Market Historic District, landmarked in 2003 thanks to efforts by GVSHP. Back … Continued
The Fourteenth Amendment, adopted on July 28, 1868, played an important role in setting legal precedents for equality after the Civil War. The most radically worded of the Reconstruction Amendments, it … Continued
The Bowery is Manhattan’s oldest street, predating European settlement. We don’t know exactly when native Americans first began to use this path. We do know that in those early days … Continued
Our ever-expanding historic image archive has a number of fascinating collections which offer glimpses into our neighborhood and beyond throughout past decades. Carol Teller’s Changing New York (Parts I, II … Continued
West 14th Street has a multilayered history preserved in its architecture which reflects the development of the surrounding area as well as New York City itself. West 14th Street is … Continued
The 20th Annual Spring House Tour Benefit on May 6th, 2018 featured an array of homes unlike any others in the tour’s twenty year history. Tour goers and volunteers … Continued
May the 4th be with you! While today is a special day for many Star Wars fans, for us in the Village today’s date is a reminder of that the … Continued
Ah, springtime in New York City. Tulips and daffodils fill our parks, people pour into the streets to enjoy the sunshine, and, of course, GVSHP produces the Annual Spring House … Continued
As we approach St. Patrick’s Day, we realized we’ve discussed Irish churches, Irish heritage, Irish parade riots, and have written about cool East Village bars, East Village sports bars, historic bars, … Continued
Happy Valentine’s Day! For us at GVSHP, the Village, East Village, and NoHo are our Valentine, and we find new reasons to fall in love with them each and every … Continued
By Matt
Our neighborhood has many wonderful intersections, where generations of history and culture intersect — too many, in fact, to easily do them all justice. But on February 2nd, the second … Continued
By Matt
A while ago I wrote about a wonderful resource on the GVSHP website, the GVSHP Landmarks Application webpage. This page contains all upcoming, pending and closed applications for alterations, demolitions, … Continued
This post by Dana Schulz originally ran in 2011. This secluded alley of beautiful pre-Civil War homes made recent real estate headlines when one of its houses, 5 Grove Court, went on … Continued
This is the latest installment of Off the Grid’s series, “My Favorite Things,” in which we showcase some of our very favorite spots around the neighborhood, highlighting the incredible architecture, … Continued
On this date in 2016, the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously voted to designate the final piece of GVSHP’s proposed South Village Historic District, an incredibly important part of our rich history. … Continued
This is the latest installment of Off the Grid’s series, “My Favorite Things,” in which we showcase some of our very favorite spots around the neighborhood, highlighting the incredible architecture, … Continued
Last week I took a break from my normal duties as GVSHP’s Director of Research and Preservation and led about forty people on a tour of Bleecker Street as part … Continued
Lafayette Street in NoHo is much on my mind today. September 6 happens to be the birthday in 1757 of the man for whom the street is named, the Marquis … Continued
On Saturday, GVSHP held a second Walk & Draw event, this time to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the MacDougal-Sullivan Gardens historic district.
EXPLORE SIX STATELY GREENWICH VILLAGE HOMES ON THE 19TH ANNUAL SPRING HOUSE TOUR BENEFIT
This year’s Spring House Tour Benefit is right around the corner; on Sunday, May 7th to be exact! This year’s tour features seven incredibly beautiful Village properties including hidden gardens, … Continued
Our friends at the Grey Art Gallery hosted a wonderful private tour of their most recent exhibition for GVSHP members last night! The exhibition, entitled Inventing Downtown: Artist –Run … Continued
Currently the Skyscraper Museum in Battery Park City is hosting an exhibit “Ten & Taller: 1874-1900” that “examines every single building 10 stories and taller that was erected in Manhattan … Continued
By Matt
As 2016 fades into memory, we wanted to look back on all that GVSHP accomplished during the year, and what we have to look forward to in 2017. In 2016, … Continued
Here at GVSHP we are excited about our recently launched Village Civil Rights & Social Justice Map. With our upcoming LGBT history bar crawl at the end of the month … Continued
This past Saturday and Monday, many dedicated souls braved the winter weather to celebrate the local businesses of Greenwich Village. With tour guide Joyce Gold, GVSHP and our partners at … Continued
Join GVSHP tomorrow night in the main sanctuary of the Museum at Eldridge Street as we present the Andy Statman Trio for the second consecutive year. The concert supports both … Continued
One of my favorite two-block sections in Greenwich Village may be an unlikely one – East 9th Street between Broadway and 5th Avenue. It’s not the oldest strip in the … Continued
Happy Halloween! It’s a time for tricks and treats and taking to the Village streets for mischief and mayhem, fun and fright, and a parade on 6th Ave. starting at around … Continued
By Matt
Last week, news broke that the City will be moving ahead with the final phase of GVSHP’s proposed South Village Historic District, a roughly ten-block, one hundred sixty building area … Continued
A stroll through the Village on a crisp autumn day offers so many alluring bakeries and cafes that it is almost impossible to choose one in which to spend your … Continued
Autumn is in the air here in the Village! As the leaves start to change and the air becomes cooler and more crisp, what better way to enjoy than out … Continued
By Matt
It’s no secret that the Village has changed. However, due to rising demand for real estate, hyper-gentrification threatens the unique and special fabric of our neighborhoods. It’s not just small and … Continued
By Matt
Occasionally in the course of my research of buildings in our area, I come across a familiar name. Last week exactly that happened. In looking into the history of 35 … Continued
On August 16th, 1966, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District. This small but distinct neighborhood is part of the South Village. It sits on a street grid … Continued
As both we and the media have recently reported, two months ago GVSHP requested the landmark designation of a potential historic district on East 11th Street between Third and Fourth … Continued
On this day in 1734, Samuel Jones, namesake of Great Jones Street in NoHo, was born in Nassau County. At only two blocks long, Great Jones Street isn’t actually all … Continued